ONSÉGEN ENSEMBLE – A Tale

RELEASE YEAR: 2026
BAND URL: https://onsegenensemble.bandcamp.com/album/a-tale-2

The Finnish folk prog rockers known as Onségen Ensemble have unearthed and sculpted a most bewitching and atmospheric offering in the shape of this fifth full-length album of theirs enticingly titled A Tale, and I cannot thank Karisma Records enough for sending a copy of the CD my way.

With its pastoral feel and remarkably strong and beautiful melodies, this enticing and mysterious gem engenders a rather pleasant vibe and comforting musical setting that can only be described as bucolic and earthy, but there is darkness and a touch of the eerie somewhere in there too. Much like grim fairytales, folklore, legends of old, and mysticism, there are strands and nuances of light and dark that are superbly interwoven and in constant play throughout, thereby creating some fantastic dichotomies capable of making one’s head swirl. The band members are experts at conjuring up a memorable motif or a main riff and then either adding to or subtracting from the arrangement, which means you get trance-inducing tunes that appear richly layered, full of textures, and riddled with subtle details. A prime example of this (and by extension the very highlight of the whole experience) is the fourth song on the disc, namely “The Word,” which boasts an infectious and ear-worming riff that they then play around in all manner of creative ways. Another standout moment is “Garden of Celestials,” which sports the most appropriate title ever in that the entire piece is . . . er, celestial and otherworldly.

A Tale is incredibly varied, full of sparkling ideas, and performed with authentic joy and unbridled passion, and what you get is a prog-tinged slice of musical greatness with a delightful twist that leaves you begging for more, and it sounds so genuinely warm and organic that it beggars belief. On top of that, it also possesses an almost tribal, ritualistic quality due to the percussive work and the stirring vocals that make songs such as “A Thought” soar and grip the soul.